Aerial projectile game



March 18, 1947. H F, mm: 2,417,615 AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME I Filed June25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwue/wtom Patented Mar. 18, 1947 zlJ'NIT EDifSTATfE'f-S PAT ENT OFFICE i AERIAL PROJECTILE GAME QHugo F.1-Rothe,Trenton, Mich.

* Application -June'23, 1944,'Serial No. 541,745

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to game apparatus comprising a net, game piece-adapted to seat-.in

the meshes of the net and a mallet for projecting the game piecesupwardly'and propel them provide game pieces designed to increase theskill required to project the game pieces across the net thus increasingthe interest of the players.

A further object of the invention resides in: providing game piece inthe form of trumpet shaped cups-of round and polygonal contour in crosssection, the cupsot the same contour being adapted to nest one withinthe. other While certain of-the polygonal cups .will. nest in cups. of adifierent polygonal contour.

Another object of theinvention residescin'providing apparatus for.playingrgames' which requiresa high degree ofuskill i-to advance thegame pieces affording the'participants .theigreat-* est amountofentertainment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthecourse of the following description.

In the accompanyingdrawings forming apart of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the net forming the game board,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the game board showing the mallet instriking position,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the game board with the game piecesin playing position,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the mallet,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the round game piece,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 66 of Fig. 5, and,

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are plan views of the differentpolygonal shaped game pieces.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes generallyagame board having its playing surface preferably formed of nettingmaterial fabricated from cord, wire, plastic or other suitable material.While a netting material is preferred it is apparent the game board maybe made from a perforated sheet material and the term net is intended tocover all mesh or perforated materials. The netting material issupportedin a "rectangular frame 6 composed of side bars connected-together .byangular corner braces l to 1 which-are connected uprights or legs 3 forsupporting-the frame in an elevated horizontal plane above-"the table orother support on which the gamelboard: is placed. In actual practice ithas been found desirable to have the game board elevated four inches ormore above the table or support-on which it is resting. The net is tiedor otherwise secured to its supporting frame and is not stretched taut.

The game pieces comprise a plurality of cups 9,eachof the cups beingsubstantially trumpet closed bottom'end I l which is slightly weighted.

shape with a wide upper and Ill. and a narrow There are four sets ofnine cups eachand the "c-ross sectional contour of the cups in eachseries varies." The contour of the cups is round, triangular, square,'quintagonal, hexagonal, heptago- -nal,i octagonal; nonagonal anddodecagonal as shown in Figs. 5 to -14 inclusiveand designated il-respectively. Each set of cups has a" distinguishing color 'toidentifyone set from the other andfan identifying number may be placed inthe-bottom of each of'the polygonal cups to readily indicate the numberof angles. *cups 'owing to their tapered shape are adapted All the tonestimcups ofthe-same cross sectional contour. The round cups-canonlynest in other oupsof acorresponding contour while certain of thepolygonal cups can nest in other cups of a different polygonal contour.For instance, the

3 triangular cup can nest in the hexagonal, nonaga handle 59 connectedthereto in off-set relation to the center of the head. The relative longend of the head is the striking end and has its striking surfacerounded, as at 20.

Various rules may be adopted when the apparatus is employed in playing agame. The game pieces or cups are seated in the meshe of the net 5 withthe flared upper ends [0 resting on the sides of the mesh and the lowerweighted ends ll depending from the net. The player manipulates themallet beneath the net so that the head l8 strikes the lower end of acup to project the cup upwardly and project it across the board. Thedirection of flight of the cup will depend on the skill of the player instriking the cup with the mallet. The cups either seat in another meshof the net or nest in one of the other cups and a skilled player maycontrol the movement of the cups with a fair degree of accuracy.

One way in which the apparatus may be employed is what I call the gameof advance. The players place their cups in the meshes of the net in arow parallel to and adjacent one of the sides of the frame. The objectis for each player to project his cups across the net and line them upin the same order on the opposite side. If a player nests one of hiscups in the cup of an opponent the opponents cup must return to thestarting position.

In a slightly modified form of game which I call the game of eliminationthe cups are lined up by the players in the same order as in the game ofadvance. The object of this game is to nest the cups in the cups of anopponent which are of the proper contour to receive the cup projected.When a cup is nested in an opponents cup of the proper shape theopponents cup is eliminated, Cups which are nested in an opponents cupsof the wrong shape must be returned to the starting position. When allthe cups of an opponent have been eliminated the game is over, or ifdesired the various shaped cups may be given difierent values in pointsand each player adds up the points of the cups eliminated, the playerhaving the highest score being the winner.

Another form of game is the game of king, in which the round cup isdesignated king. The object is to nest the king cup of a player in theking cup of an opponent. The game is played similar to the game ofelimination in that the nesting of a cup in the cup of an opponent, ofthe proper shape, will eliminate the cup of the opponent. Impropernesting of a cup in the cup of an opponent will result in the opponentscup being considered captive and it will remain captive until the uppercups player separates the cups by strikin them with the mallet. If thereare three cups nested together the intermediate cup is eliminated fromthe game.

The games described in the foregoing are merely illustrative and aresubject to various modifications to increase the interest and skill ofthe players. It is apparent that game apparatus disclosed will requirethe exercise of the utmost skill of the players so that games may bedevised which will be highly entertaining and amusing to the players.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a game board of perforated material and strikingmeans, of a series of trumpet shaped game pieces of different crosssectional contour adapted to seat in the perforations of the game boardwith their lower ends depending from the game board for engagement bythe striking means.

2. The combination with a game board of perforated material and strikingmeans, of a series of trumpet shaped game pieces of different crosssectional contour adapted to seat in the perforations of the game boardand nest in pieces of like contour, the lower ends of the game piecesdepending from the game board for engagement by the striking means.

3. The combination with a game board of perforated material and strikingmeans, of a series of trumpet shaped members of different crosssectional contour adapted to enter the perforations of the game boardand supported therein by their flared upper ends with the lower ends independing relation to the game board, certain of said members beingadapted to nest in other of said members, said members bein shifted overthe surface of the game board by the striking means engaging the lowerend of said members.

HUGO F. RO'IHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 488,762 Gist Dec. 27, 1892614,094 Farnum Nov. 15, 1898 1,872,454 I-Iorn et al Aug, 16, 19321,886,479 Greenan Nov. 8, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date375,454 British June 30, 1932

